Solid-state imaging device and camera system

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device comprises a pixel array wherein unit patterns are placed repeatedly the unit pattern along vertical and horizontal directions. The unit pattern has at least four pixels arranged vertically and two pixels arranged horizontally. The unit pattern is formed of pixels of a first group including two first green pixels and pixels of a second group including two second green pixels. The two first green pixels are arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between, and the two second green pixels are arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solid-state imaging device comprising:
 a pixel array wherein a first group of pixels which are exposed for a first time and a second group of pixels which are exposed for a second time shorter than the first time are Bayer arranged along a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, the pixels accumulating signal charge generated according to the amount of incident light;   a control unit that controls reading signals from the first and second groups of pixels; and   a signal processing unit that performs high dynamic range composition of signals from the first group of pixels and signals from the second group of pixels,   wherein in the pixel array, unit patterns, in each of which at least four pixels are arranged vertically and two pixels are arranged horizontally, are placed repeatedly the unit pattern along vertical and horizontal directions, and   wherein the unit pattern is formed of pixels of the first group including two first green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between and pixels of the second group including two second green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between.   
     
     
         2 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first green pixels are arranged horizontally alternating with blue pixels, and the second green pixels are arranged horizontally alternating with red pixels. 
     
     
         3 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pixel array includes horizontal lines where pixels of the first group are arranged along the horizontal direction and horizontal lines where pixels of the second group are arranged along the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         4 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the unit pattern has four pixels arranged along the vertical direction and two pixels arranged along the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein in the pixel array, two signal lines are placed for each horizontal line, where pixels are arranged along the horizontal direction, and
 wherein the control unit controls reading signals for each signal line.   
     
     
         6 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit interpolates with a pixel of the first group as a subject pixel based on signal levels of pixels of the second group. 
     
     
         7 . A solid-state imaging device comprising:
 a pixel array wherein a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels, which accumulate signal charge generated according to the amount of incident light, are Bayer arranged along a vertical direction and a horizontal direction; and   a control unit that controls reading signals from the first and second groups of pixels in such a way as to, for a first frame, read signals from the first group of pixels with stopping reading signals from the second group of pixels and, for a second frame subsequent to the first frame, read signals from the second group of pixels with stopping reading signals from the first group of pixels,   wherein in the pixel array, unit patterns, in each of which at least four pixels are arranged vertically and two pixels are arranged horizontally, are placed repeatedly the unit pattern along vertical and horizontal directions, and   wherein the unit pattern is formed of pixels of the first group including two first green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between and pixels of the second group including two second green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between.   
     
     
         8 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first green pixels are arranged horizontally alternating with blue pixels, and the second green pixels are arranged horizontally alternating with red pixels. 
     
     
         9 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 7 , wherein the pixel array includes horizontal lines where pixels of the first group are arranged along the horizontal direction and horizontal lines where pixels of the second group are arranged along the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         10 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 7 , wherein the unit pattern has four pixels arranged along the vertical direction and two pixels arranged along the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         11 . The solid-state imaging device according to  claim 7 , wherein in the pixel array, two signal lines are placed for each horizontal line, where pixels are arranged along the horizontal direction, and
 wherein the control unit controls reading signals for each signal line.   
     
     
         12 . A camera system comprising:
 an image pickup optical system that takes in light from a subject to form a subject image;   a pixel array wherein a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels, which accumulate signal charge generated according to the amount of incident light from the image pickup optical system, are Bayer arranged along a vertical direction and a horizontal direction; and   a control unit that controls reading signals from the first and second groups of pixels in such a way as to, for a first frame, read signals from the first group of pixels with stopping reading signals from the second group of pixels and, for a second frame subsequent to the first frame, read signals from the second group of pixels with stopping reading signals from the first group of pixels,   wherein in the pixel array, unit patterns, in each of which at least four pixels are arranged vertically and two pixels are arranged horizontally, are placed repeatedly the unit pattern along vertical and horizontal directions, and   wherein the unit pattern is formed of pixels of the first group including two first green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between and pixels of the second group including two second green pixels arranged vertically with one of a red pixel and a blue pixel in between.   
     
     
         13 . The camera system according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 an image processing device that performs signal processing on signals read for the first frame and signals read for the second frame,   wherein the image processing device interpolates from signals of pixels of the first group read for the first frame to generate signals at positions of pixels of the second group and interpolates from signals of pixels of the second group read for the second frame to generate signals at positions of pixels of the first group.   
     
     
         14 . The camera system according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 an image processing device that performs signal processing on signals read for the first frame and signals read for the second frame,   wherein the image processing device makes up for the signal at the position of each pixel of the second group in the first frame with the signal of a pixel of the second group at that position in a frame preceding the first frame or the signal of a pixel of the second group at that position in the second frame, and makes up for the signal at the position of each pixel of the first group in the second frame with the signal of a pixel of the first group at that position in the first frame or the signal of a pixel of the first group at that position in a frame subsequent to the second frame.   
     
     
         15 . The camera system according to  claim 12 , comprising:
 an image processing device that performs processing on signals read from the multiple pixels,   wherein the image processing device performs first frame reconstruction to reconstruct from information acquired of one frame, image data of that frame and second frame reconstruction to reconstruct image data of one frame from information acquired of two or more frames, and outputs one of a first reconstructing result of the first frame reconstruction, a second reconstructing result of the second frame reconstruction, and a third reconstructing result obtained by mixing the first reconstructing result and the second reconstructing result.   
     
     
         16 . The camera system according to  claim 15 , wherein when obtaining the third reconstructing result, the image processing device adjusts the proportion of the first reconstructing result to be mixed and the proportion of the second reconstructing result to be mixed according to the result of estimating the degree of movement of the subject.